8.0°C > 12.0°C: Areas of cloud associated with showers. Some sunny spells. Light / moderate S wind. Mostly very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:53 BST
*= a photo today
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
Priorslee Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
(240th visit of the year)
A generally quiet morning for visual migration. However the highlight was a lone Brambling that flew W at 08:10. My 111th bird species here this year.
Numbers perhaps slightly affected by a discharge from somewhere in Stafford Park that was lingering in early light winds. As a result the W end very misty. Exactly what this discharge is - it happens most days c.06:30 - is unclear and might only be water vapour from industrial units being started. Only when the wind is in the S does it affect the lake (and the M54). This morning it seemed to be catching in my throat. As a result I was positioned non-optimally for watching roost departures.
Other bird notes:
- Only the pen Mute Swan was present early and she flew off NE at 08:25 (I am assuming its identity – I did not read any ring).
- All the early large gulls that stopped off were positively identified as Lesser Black-backed Gulls and are logged as such. The overflights were not specifically identified.
- A Chiffchaff was calling along the N side today.
- The only bird seen leaving a roost around the water was a lone Starling.
Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 27 Wood Pigeons only: nine of these in a single migrant group heading SSW
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 33 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 237 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks only
- 10 Skylark
- c.100 Starlings: three groups one of c.80 birds
- 1 Fieldfare
- 12? Redwings: all these heard overhead pre-dawn
- 11 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 5 Chaffinches
- 1 Brambling
- 1 Siskin again
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song
For anyone interested in Cetti's Warbler song then BBC Radio 4's 'Tweet of the Day' at 05:58 tomorrow (26th) will be featuring it.
Count from the lake area:
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 1 Mute Swan: departed
- 9 (>3♂) Mallard: all departed together
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 32 (>12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 60 Coots
- no Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- >175 Black-headed Gulls again
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- no large gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Probably too much dew on the lamps for many insects to settle.
A generally quiet morning for visual migration. However the highlight was a lone Brambling that flew W at 08:10. My 111th bird species here this year.
Numbers perhaps slightly affected by a discharge from somewhere in Stafford Park that was lingering in early light winds. As a result the W end very misty. Exactly what this discharge is - it happens most days c.06:30 - is unclear and might only be water vapour from industrial units being started. Only when the wind is in the S does it affect the lake (and the M54). This morning it seemed to be catching in my throat. As a result I was positioned non-optimally for watching roost departures.
Other bird notes:
- Only the pen Mute Swan was present early and she flew off NE at 08:25 (I am assuming its identity – I did not read any ring).
- All the early large gulls that stopped off were positively identified as Lesser Black-backed Gulls and are logged as such. The overflights were not specifically identified.
- A Chiffchaff was calling along the N side today.
- The only bird seen leaving a roost around the water was a lone Starling.
Overhead:
- 3 Canada Geese: inbound together
- 1 Stock Dove
- 27 Wood Pigeons only: nine of these in a single migrant group heading SSW
- 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 33 unidentified large gulls
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 237 Jackdaws
- 2 Rooks only
- 10 Skylark
- c.100 Starlings: three groups one of c.80 birds
- 1 Fieldfare
- 12? Redwings: all these heard overhead pre-dawn
- 11 Pied Wagtails
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 5 Chaffinches
- 1 Brambling
- 1 Siskin again
Warblers noted:
- 1 Chiffchaff: no song
For anyone interested in Cetti's Warbler song then BBC Radio 4's 'Tweet of the Day' at 05:58 tomorrow (26th) will be featuring it.
Count from the lake area:
- 1 Greylag Goose: departed
- 1 Mute Swan: departed
- 9 (>3♂) Mallard: all departed together
- 3 (2♂) Gadwall
- 32 (>12♂) Tufted Duck
- 6 Moorhens again
- 60 Coots
- no Little Grebes
- 1 Great Crested Grebe again
- >175 Black-headed Gulls again
- 4 Herring Gulls
- 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- no large gulls: see notes
- 1 Grey Heron: departed
At / around the street lamps pre-dawn:
Probably too much dew on the lamps for many insects to settle.
Moths:
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.) again
with:
- *1 springtail sp.
- 1 Clubiona sp. spider
- *1 Walnut Orb Weaver spider (Nuctenea umbratica)
- 1 Paroligolophus agrestis harvestman
In the sailing club shelter predawn:
- *2 White-legged Snake Millipedes (Tachypodoiulus niger)
plus the usual array of mainly Bridge Orb-web Spiders (Larinioides sclopetarius)
Noted later:
- 1 Grey Squirrel
A near-by shower. Luckily it passed to the N and I stayed dry – this time.
You WILL all enjoy looking at spiders. A six-legged(?) male Walnut Orb Weaver (Nuctenea umbratica). His left-side third leg may be tucked up: the left front legs looks to be missing.
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Flash: 09:35 – 10:35
(217th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The pair of Teal not located.
- No Goosanders again.
- At least one Skylark over – from calls only: too high for me to see.
- A Redwing flew out of trees on the island.
Birds noted flying over here:
- 1 Feral Pigeons
- 3 Wood Pigeons
- 10 Jackdaws
- 1+ Skylark
- 1 Siskin
On /around the water:
- 27 Canada Geese
- *3 + 2 (1 brood) Mute Swan
- 30 (20♂) Mallard
- no Teal
- 40 (1+♂) Tufted Duck
- 10 Moorhens
- 24 Coots still
- 2 + 3 (1 brood) Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Black-headed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull
- 1 Grey Herons
On various lamp pole:
- 1 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.).
- *1 Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)
- 1 Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)
- *2 Tetragnatha sp. Stretch spiders
Noted elsewhere:
- many Common Wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) on the Ivy flowers.
- *several Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) also on the Ivy flowers.
- 1 Grey Squirrel
(Ed Wilson)
Sightings from previous years without links are below
2010
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.
2010
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebe
5 Lapwings
1487 Fieldfare logged, mostly flying W. 7 of the flocks estimated at between 110 and 130 birds
25 Redwings
Raven
56 Goldfinch
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
62 Swans
5 Wigeon
14 Pochard
22 Tufted Ducks
231 Coots
Great Black-backed Gull
3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
27 Redwings
Chiffchaff
c.250 Starlings
8 Siskins
c.15 Goldfinches
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Cormorant
25 Pochard
72 Tufted Ducks
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
20 Robins
17 Blackbirds
15 Song Thrushes
59 Redwing
3 Mistle Thrushes
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
5 Goldcrests
(Martin Adlam)